Flags and staffs therefor



March 19, 1963 c. R. sPAHL FLAGS AND sTAFFs THEREFOR Filed April 10, 1961 /NvENToE CHQ/@LES e. sPnHL BY -ms ATTORNEY United States Patent Oillice 3,081,734 @Patented Mar. 19, 1963 3,031,734 FLAGS AND STAFFS THEREFR Charles R. Spahl, Thompson, Conn., assigner to American @ptical Company, Southbridge, Mass., a voiuntary association of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 101,813 3 Claims. (Cl. 116-173) This invention relates to improvements in ags and staffs for supporting and displaying the same.

Flags have long been extremely popular items which are used extensively as means of identification or for cornmunication, for warning or other safety purposes or as direction indicators and they have exceptional aesthetic potentials when used as decoration.

This invention provides an improved exible ilag and staff construction for supporting the same which overcomes the shortcomings of conventional display devices of this nature.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved generally flexible llag member and novel statt' construction therefor which is adapted to support the major portion of the ily of said flag member in `a substantially fixed outstanding relationship to said staff.

Another object is to provide a flag and staff arrangement of the above character which is so constructed and arranged as to permit the flag member to be simply and quickly furled compactly about said staf for portability.

Another object is to accomplish the above through the arrangement of a main supporting rod having a rst edge of the flag mounted thereon and a rigid laterally extending arm removably connected adjacent one of its ends to said rod and upon which a second edge of said flag is mounted.

Another object is to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical flag and staf construction of the above character offering the utility of compactness for portability and storage and for full display of substantially all parts of its fly at all times when arranged for use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the device of the invention shown as being assembled for use;`

FIG. 2 is a view somewhat similar to FIG. l but illustrating parts of the device in disassembled relation with each other;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a preferred technique for rendering the disassembled device compactly portable;

FlGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary side elevational views of a modification of the invention; and

FG. 7 is a View similar to FIG. l on a reduced scale showing a further modification of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the various views thereof, it will be seen that the device of the invention comprises a rectangular flexible ag 111 mounted upon a two-part staff 11 having a main supporting rod 12 which is provided with a detachable laterally extending arm 13 adjacent one end of the rod 12 which functions to support the ily of the flag 111 in fully extended outstanding relation to said rod 12 of the two-part staff 11.

The flag is formed of flexible sheet-like material such as fabric, plastic or a fabric and plastic combination or any one of the variety of flexible sheet materials conventionally used in iiag making.

ln a preferred aspect of the invention, two intersecting edge portions 14 and 15 of the ag 10 are turned back in the form of a reverse fold and stitched at 16 and 17 respectively (see FIGS. 1 3) to form elongated rightangularly related casings 18 and 19 along the respective edge portion 14 and 15 of the ag 10 and through which the rod 12 and arm 13 of the two-part staff 11 are respectively slidably extended.

It will be noted in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the casings 18 and 19 are cut back at 2li and 21 respectively and at right angle to each other adjacent their adjoining ends approximately to the full depth of the overlap of material forming the same. This provides a cut-back area in the ag 10 which permits it to be readily folded and furled without removal from the respective rod 12 and arm 13 of the two-part staff 11 as will be described hereinafter. The cut-back area also exposes the interconnecting portions of the two-part staff 11 thereby facilitating the attachment or removal of the arm 13 to or from the rod 12.

The rod 12 of the two-part staff 11 is provided with an opening 22 adjacent its uppermost end which passes approximately diametrically therethrough and is preferably of a size such as to provide an easy sliding t for the arm 13. if desired, the related sizes of the arm 13 and opening 22 may be made to produce a tight fit therebetween, particularly in cases where it might be desired to display the Hag lll in a downwardly facing direction, that is, with the rod 12 of the two-part staff 11 disposed horizontally as shown at 12 in FIG. 6.

in FIGS. 5 and 6 there is shown a modification of the invention wherein the rod 12 of the flag staff 11 is provided with -an opening 22' extending diametrically therethrough and the arm 13 of the statt` 11 is selected to be of a size slightly larger than the opening 22. The slightly oversized arm 13, is provided with a slot 24 extending back from its end 25 which is to be inserted in the opening 22 a distance preferably somewhat greater in length than the diameter of the rod 12'. Also, the slotted end 25 of the arm 13 is charnfered at 25a. With the above arrangement it can be seen that a tight fitting assembly of the rod 12' and arm 13 can be made by' forcing the slotted end 25 of the arm 13 into the opening 22. In so doing, the bifurcated end sections 21519 and 25C of the oversized arm 13 are forced toward each other under tension permitting the arm 13 to pass into the slightly smaller opening 22. The tension which is set up in the bifurcated end sections 2519 and 25e tends to urge them apart and produces a gripping effect upon the side walls of the opening 22 which holds the arm 13 securely in place thereby permitting the rod 12' of the statt 11 to be disposed horizontally as shown in FIG. 6 or to any desired position Without d islodgement of the arm 13. In making the assembly of the rod 12 and arm 13 shown in FIG. 6, the chamfer 25a permits the slightly oversized arm 13 to be easily started into the opening 22.

It is also pointed out that While the rod 12 and arm 13 of the two-part statt `11 have been described and shown in the drawings :as being relatively loosely slid through the ag casings 13 and 19, one or the other or both of said casings 18 and 19 may be proportioned to relatively tightly t about the rod 12 or arm 13 'to prevent free sliding of the `rod 12 and arm 13 in the cas-ings. The relatively loose tting arrangement of the flag 10 upon the rod 12 :and arm 13 permits simple and quick removal and/tor replacement of the llag 1() upon the two-part staff 11 when a change offag is desired or required.

When in a position of use, the device of the invention is arranged as shown in FIG. 1 'so as to have one end of the arm 13 inserted into the opening 22. This provides an L-shaped support for the flag 10 keeping its edge portions 14 and 15 fixed so that the flag 10 is prevented from dnaping Adownwardly toward and/or around the rod l12 and furthermore, stirring air or `breezes cannot cause the flag to wrap around any part of the two-part stad 11. The

free or unsupported edges of the flag 10 permit `a rippling of the material thereof by wind or breezes to attract ones attention and to give the flag 10 the effect of authenticity without concealing instructive subject matter or other renditions applied to the ilag. Furthermore when the flag 10 is merely a plain colored piece of material used for warning or other purposes, full advantage of continuous exposure of substantially the full surface area of `the flag under practically any weather conditions may be had. Moreover, the ag may be faced to any direction substantially without flapping or becoming furled by wind or stirring air whether it faces with, or in opposition to the said wind. Also, if the flag 10 is to be displayed downwardly with the rod 12 of the stati horizontal, the arm 13 will prevent the ag from iiapping or being urged edgewise toward an intended viewing location by the effects of stirring air.

In rendering the `device of the invention compact for portability, the arm 13 is simply slipped out of the fopening 22 as shown in FIG. 2. This allows the Hag 10 to drape `freely downwardly as illustrated.

A furling of the Hag 10 would then be accomplished in the manner illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein the detached arm 13 is swung down to place it adjacent to and parallel with the rod 12 of the two-part staff 11. This olds the ap 10 diagonally into the triangular shape illustrated in FIG. 3. The triangularly folded lag 10 is then wrapped tightly around the parallel rod 12 and arm 13 to produce the furled eifect shown in FIG. 4 thereby forming a compact easily portable, or storable assembly with the flag 10, rod 12 and' arm 13 held securely together by the tight wrapping.

In the modification `illustrated by FIG. 7, the flag 10a, having casings 18a and 19a identical to the casings 1S and 19 in FIG. 1, isr further provided with an additional casing 28 formed along its lowermost edge 30. The casing 28 is cut iback from the casing 18a in a manner identical to the cut back at 20 and 21 in FIG, 1 and ra second arm 32 is passed longitudinally through the casing 28 and tted` into an `opening 34 in the rod 12a. The arm 32 would be identicall to the arm 13 described hereinabove and illustrated as 13a in FIG. 7 or Iit may be modified as shown in FIG. to provide a tight interlocking t with theopening 34.

In either case, it can be seen that the ily portion of the flag a will be fully extended away from the rod 12a by fixed supports along three of its sides.

With thearrangement shown in FIG. 7, the iiag 10a would be furled anound the rod 12a by withdrawing both of the arms 13a and 32 from their respective openings in the rod-12. The tiag llla'would then be folded diagonally tol place one of the arms substantially parallel to and adjacent the rod 12a and again folded over a second time to place the other arm parallel to land adjacent the first arm and rod 12a. The resultant triangularly shaped limp ag material would then be Wrapped tightly `around the three now parallel staff parts to form a compactly varranged easily portable assembly which would, in general, resemible that shown in FIG. 4.

It is pointed out-that in all constructions shownand described hereinabove, the rods 12, 12 and 12a and the arms 13, 13', 13a and 32 maybe formed of wood, metal or rigid plastics, or in `arnangements where one or more parts might be formed of one material and the remaining parts formed of a dilferent material.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that simple, eiiicient and economical means have been provided for Vaccomplishingall of the objects and yadvantages of the invention. Nevertheless, it should be apparent :that many changes in the details of construction, and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention `as expressed in the accompanying claims and the invention, therefore, lis not to be liirnted to the exact matters shown and described as only preferred matters have been given bypway of illustration.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising the combination of a flag formed of flexible sheet material having a pair of relatively long and narrow casings along two adjoining edge portions thereof, each casing being cut back in length a distance approximately equal to the width of the other adjacent the location of their adjoinment to form an open area in which the respective axes of said casings approximately intersect each other, a statf embodying a rigid rod having an opening disposed transversely therein and a rigid arm having an end portion of a contour shape and size adapted to be removably entered relatively tightly into said opening so as to rigidly support said arm extendedly from said rod, said rod `being extended through at least the major portion of the length of one of said casings with the transverse opening therein disposed in said open larea of said ag approximately coaxially lwith the other of said casings and said arm being extended through at least the major portion of the length of the other of said casings with said end portion thereof relatively tightly entered into said opening in said rod.

2. A device of the character described comprising the combination of a flag formed of ilexible sheet material having a pair of casings along two adjoining edge portions thereof, said casings being shorter adjacent their respectively adjacent ends `than. the overall dimensions of the ag in directions therealong approximately parallel to the respective axes of said casings so as to provide an open area at a corner of said flag, the adjacent ends of said casings being open and directed axially toward said area, a staff embodying a rigid rod having an opening disposed transversely therein and a rigid arm having an end portion of a contour shape and size adapted to be removably entered relatively tightly into said transverse opening so as to rigidly support said arm extendedly from said rod, said rod `being extended through at least the major portion of the length of one of said casings into said open area with said transverse opening therein disposed in said open area and said arm being likewise extended through at least the major portion of the length of the other of said casings and into said open area whereby said rod and arm may ibe interjoined within said open area at said corner of said flag by insertion of said end portion of said arm into said transverse opening in said rod.

3. A device of the character described comprising the combination of a flag formed of flexible sheet material having relatively long and narrow casings along three edge portions thereof with the opposite end-s of a first of said casings adjoining one end of each of a second and third casing at two corners of said flag, said second and third casings being cut back adjacent said iirst casing a distance approximately equal to the width of said first casing to Vform open areas at said corners of said flag, a staff embodying a rigid rod and a pair of rigid arms, said rod being extended approximately coaxially -through said first casing and having a pair of transverse openings therein directed one toward each of said second and thirdV casings in approximately coaxi-al relation therewith and -said arms being `disposed one within each of said second and third casings with respective end portions of each arm relatively tightly entered into an adjacent one of said transverse openings in said rod to support said flag substantially fully extended on said rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,002,260 Golden Sept. 5, 1911 2,072,573 Vigliotti Mar. 2, 1937 2,284,209 Holm May 26, 1942 2,764,122 Irvin Sept. Q5, 1956 2,858,793 Palmer Nov. 4, 1958 

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A FLAG FORMED OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL HAVING A PAIR OF RELATIVELY LONG AND NARROW CASINGS ALONG TWO ADJOINING EDGE PORTIONS THEREOF, EACH CASING BEING CUT BACK IN LENGTH A DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THE OTHER ADJACENT THE LOCATION OF THEIR ADJOINMENT TO FORM AN OPEN AREA IN WHICH THE RESPECTIVE AXES OF SAID CASINGS APPROXIMATELY INTERSECT EACH OTHER, A STAFF EMBODYING A RIGID ROD HAVING AN OPENING DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY THEREIN AND A RIGID ARM HAVING AN END PORTION OF A CONTOUR SHAPE AND SIZE ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY ENTERED RELATIVELY TIGHTLY INTO SAID OPENING SO AS TO RIGIDLY SUPPORT SAID ARM EXTENDEDLY FROM SAID ROD, SAID ROD BEING EXTENDED THROUGH AT LEAST THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF ONE OF SAID CASINGS WITH THE TRANSVERSE OPENING THEREIN DISPOSED IN SAID OPEN AREA OF SAID FLAG APPROXIMATELY COAXIALLY WITH THE OTHER OF SAID CASINGS AND SAID ARM BEING EXTENDED THROUGH AT LEAST THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE OTHER OF SAID CASINGS WITH SAID END PORTION THEREOF RELATIVELY TIGHTLY ENTERED INTO SAID OPENING IN SAID ROD. 